Cute
by Alena S. Anigor
Summary: Before she had met Uchiha Sasuke, Tenten had thought someone else was cute...Slight /NejiTen/ Reviews are welcome.


Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and therefore, I don't own a single thing.

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_**Cute**_

-by Alena S. Anigor

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Her sensei had once asked her about her dreams and plans for the future. Her reply was ready, instant, holding no room for doubts and hesitation.

Her biggest dream was to be like Tsunade someday; to be as skilled, smart, strong and respected as the present Godaime.

She worked hard to achieve her dream; she was a firm believer that one day, she would be one of the strongest kunoichi in Konoha. Specialized in weaponry, her aim flawless, her mind sharp, her jutsus perfected. She was a keen observer, an often pragmatic creature of habits, as she would often clean and sharpen her weapons after a mission or a training session, every shuriken, kunai and senbon polished and placed back into her holster for usage when the time came again. She was Tenten, a kunoichi.

But, she also knew that she was a girl. She was aware of the fact that she would never be quite as spirited and optimistic as Lee, or strong and powerful like Neji. She was aware of her growing curves and changes occurring in her body. She was aware that she was also Tenten, a young woman she was slowly blossoming into.

She was a girl, and she couldn't change that. So, she could and would allow herself to act like one from time to time, taking the mask of kunoichi from her face while taking a break from exhausting training with the Hyuuga prodigy, from sharpening her weapons and from trying to stop Lee from doing something stupid which was often and would take a lot of her energy. And the kunoichi would become a girl again.

She would plop down on the ground, grass pillowing her body from the coldness and roughness of the dust and dirt below, her lithe form resting under a giant oak tree. She would enjoy the way shadows would protect her from the midday sun, gentle breeze cooling her face and playing with her disheveled strands.

And like all girls of her age, Tenten would allow herself to daydream...Allowing her mind to wander over recent memories of battles, missions and meetings; over the plans for the next training session with Gai-sensei and chatting with Sakura and Hinata about various things...And occasionally, her mind would slip from the usual route consisting of weapons and scrolls, lunch breaks and ramen stands and wander over to a more hidden, dangerous area she often not dared to cross even as a girl, let alone as kunoichi.

She would close her eyes as if trying to prevent the outside world to see or feel her thoughts, to look inside her soul to find something in there she wanted to keep for herself and herself only. A small, mysterious part of her that lived and breathed inside and a ghost of a smile would appear on her face when she would let her mind to wander off to that hidden, secluded area, the place where she stored all of her childish dreams and fantasies...and emotions revolving around a certain someone that resided inside that part of her psyche.

And she would recall that before she had met Uchiha Sasuke, she had thought of someone else as cute...

She had met him in class, when they were still attending the Academy, him being the prodigious child everyone admired. And she was no exception.

But, before she had gotten to know him and gotten to admire his skills and vigor, his strength and talents, Tenten's concentration had fell upon the outer appearance of the boy.

Sitting behind him, shifting in her seat while trying to listen to Iruka-sensei and write down notes, she had been constantly distracted by his hair, falling smoothly in silky strands down his back, looking so incredibly soft to her eyes. She had wondered if it would feel soft to her touch, as well. She jerked inwardly when her instincts told her to reach out and touch it, while her mind slapped her mentally and screamed at her to get real.

She did jerk visibly and gasp softly when he suddenly half-turned around to look at her grimly, pearly eyes observing her sharply. Catching her breath between her teeth, she quickly redirected her attention to Iruka-sensei again, determined not to cast one, single gaze at him anymore. Still, she couldn't help but glance at him when the class was over and she was walking behind him slowly, watching somewhat mesmerized, the way his eyes caught light and his hair shone and swayed as he walked confidently over the street.

"_He's cute,"_ someone whispered and she stopped, realizing that her own mind had whispered that to her smugly. She shook her head, reminding her treacherous mind that it should concentrate on her training if she wanted to achieve her dream of becoming like Tsunade.

And a few weeks later, when she graduated from the Academy as one of the best kunoichi in her generation, she was shocked to find out that she was assigned to be his teammate.

Lying under the oak tree, she had stared at the cloudless, blue sky, her head a jumble of thoughts and impressions, kunoichi battling with the girl inwardly. After some time, she had nodded to herself and decided to be Tenten, a kunoichi and a shinobi in front of him and Lee and be Tenten, the ordinary girl with dreams and wishes when alone. She had separated that part of her being on that day, successfully maintaining it all those months; getting to know his techniques, his strength and vigor, his weaknesses and secrets. She had gotten to know his friendship and kindness he seldom showed, but she knew it was there nonetheless. She had gotten to realize that she no longer thought of him as cute, watching him rest and his features soften with a small, knowing smile on her lips. She had seen him rise and fall, shut out from the rest of the world and reach out to her and Lee. She had seen him change and she had realized what he had become.

Before she had met Uchiha Sasuke, she had thought Hyuuga Neji was cute. But, now she no longer thought so.

She thought he was beautiful.

And, when alone, sitting under a tree like today, she would allow her mind to wander again, forgetting about the scattered weapons all around her and the torn edges of her shirt. She would allow herself to be just Tenten, and maybe, someday, she would allow him to see the girl inside of her, as well.

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**a/n:**

This is something that came to me in a very inspirational place in another town where I attend classes and get my daily dosage of caffeine. I hope it wasn't too weird and confusing, though... XD

Much love!


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